It’s that time of year again when couples clamber to reserve spots at fancy restaurants and declare their love for each other with flowers, chocolates and all things pink.
While there’s nothing wrong with any of those things, you don’t have to celebrate Valentine’s Day like everyone else. Break outside the heart-shaped box this year and try something new with your sweetie, which has the added bonus of strengthening your relationship.
“When you do stuff together you enjoy, it makes you happy and releases endorphins,” says Reggie Madison, relationship educator at First Things First, a local nonprofit organization focused on providing healthy relationship skills. You then associate those warm and fuzzy feelings with the person you love, he says.
“You’re keeping things fresh,” adds First Things First CEO Julie Baumgardner, as to why trying new things as a couple is beneficial to a relationship. “There are so many things you can do around this area, and endless ways to go on a really fun date and for very little money.”
Here are a few of our favorite suggestions: